A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of motorized tampers, more specifically, a hand-held tamper that has a variable speed control and is powered by an electric motor.
Manual or motorized tampers have been around for a long time, and provide a valuable service in compacting various types of ground. However, traditional motorized tampers are bulky and do not have variable speed control, or the option to be electrically powered. A variable speed control for a motorized tamper expands the range of different surfaces that require different tamping speeds. The present invention seeks to improve this field of prior art and overcome these limitation by providing a motorized tamper that is lightweight when compared to the prior art, has a variable speed control, and is electrically powered.
B. Discussion of the Prior Art
As a preliminary note, it should be stated that there is an ample amount of prior art that deals with motorized tampers. As will be discussed immediately below, no prior art discloses a lightweight motorized tamper that includes a variable speed control and an electric motor that is powered via a rechargeable battery.
The Grane Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,170,427) discloses a vibrating tamper with side-by-side engine section and tamper section connected by a suspension system including leaf springs. However, the vibrating tamper of Grane is big and bulky and not as lightweight as the asphalt tamper claimed below. Additionally, the asphalt tamper of Grane offers only a single tamping speed as opposed to a variable speed control that adjust the tamping speed, and requires the use of springs and an eccentrically-placed engine that is aligned with the tamping force generated.
The Pikuet Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 7,316,524) discloses a tamping device for tamping of asphalt or stone that includes a motor being coupled to a drive shaft that rotates off centered weights as opposed to an oscillating plate that tamps the surface and of which has a variable speed control. Though, the tamping device of Pikuet is not bulky, it relies upon off-centered rotating weights to provide the tamping force as opposed to a reciprocating tamping plate.
The Westbrook et al. Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 7,201,536) discloses an asphalt-patching machine that is mountable to a motor vehicle having a supply of asphalt patch material and tamper thereon. However, the tamper is a part of a patching machine that mounts to a motor vehicle, as opposed to a motorized tamper that is lightweight and can be hand-held.
The Gabriel, Jr. Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,215,949) discloses a self-contained asphalt patching apparatus that has a motorized tamper. Again, the motorized tamper is a part of asphalt patching machine and not a hand-held tamper that is lightweight in comparison with variable speed capabilities.
While the above-described devices fulfill their respective and particular objects and requirements, they do not describe a hand-held tamper that a variable speed control and of which is powered by an electrical motor and rechargeable battery. In this regard, the asphalt tamper departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art.